


The Terror of the Thames

by OnTheFritz



Series: Prompts [3]
Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T. S. Eliot
Genre: Gen, gus is always ready to talk about his theatre glory days, pounce has a short attention span, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 14:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30006489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnTheFritz/pseuds/OnTheFritz
Summary: Pouncival gets in a bit of trouble and finds himself spending the day with old Gus. Little did he know he was going to be spending the day with the fearsome Growltiger.Prompt from bag-of-broadway-snacks on tumblr.
Series: Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207193
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	The Terror of the Thames

It wasn’t like Pouncival meant to jump off the highest point in the junkyard and land directly on top of the cake that Jennyanydots had spent all day preparing for Gus’s birthday. It was just when he let gravity take over he couldn’t control where he ended up. There was a law about gravity or something, he was sure of it.

“Aw, I didn’t mean to.” Pounce complained as Jellylorum helped him get the frosting out of his ears. “Why am I in trouble?”

“You need to learn to look before you leap.” Jelly told him. “Both metaphorically and literally.”

“’s no fun that way.” 

“Well it’s safe, not to mention polite. Jenny worked very hard on that cake.” Jelly sighed. “How you manage to get into these sort of things is beyond me. Really, if you put half the effort into being a respectable tom you would be a very esteemed member of the tribe.”

“I dunno if I want to be steamed.” Pounce muttered.

“Hold still.” Jelly grabbed him by the ear and peered into it. “How did you get frosting all the way down there?”

“Dunno.” Pounce wiggled away.

“I’ll need to get something that can reach in there. Will you stay with Gus for a moment?”

“Huh?” Pounce looked around until his eyes set upon Gus, who was sitting in the corner and apparently had been there the whole time. 

“It will be only a little while. It’s time for his nap anyways so all you have to do is stay here until I return.” Jelly paused. “And try to behave. Don’t climb on anything or make too loud of a noise, it isn’t good for Gus’s temperament.”

“His what?”

Jelly sighed. “Just try to be quiet.”

With that the queen gave Gus an affectionate nuzzle and left. Pounce fidgeted a bit, staring at the old cat in case he decided to so something. Gus did not.

“Well.” Pounce said to himself. “This is great.”

About five minutes in and he was spectacularly bored. All attempts to get the frosting out of his ears only succeeded in smearing it further over his fur. Briefly he considered just leaving Gus to his own devices but the thought of having a wrathful Jelly as well as an already upset Jenny after him was too frightening to risk.

“So, got anything to do?” Pounce asked the air. 

As expected he did not receive an answer. Gus snuffled in the corner but was sound asleep. At least, hopefully he was asleep. Hesitantly Pounce crept closer. He had never spent much time around Gus, preferring the company of more active cats, and during his stories Pounce always fell asleep. There was just something so… boring about the old cat, especially now.

Yes, Gus was breathing. Pounce let out a sigh of relief. If anything had happened to Gus Pounce was sure to get the blame-

There was a bug.

Pounce’s attention snapped to a beetle that was making its way past Gus’s foot. Immediately Pounce crouched down, wiggling a bit and giving it his most fearsome growl.

The beetle marched on.

“Hey, I’m intimidating you.” Pounce growled again. 

“You call that a growl?” The words were punctuated with clear dismay and disgust.

“Huh?” Suddenly he wasn’t alone anymore. Pounce turned to see Gus shuffling around into a seated position, the blanket hanging over his shoulders like a battered cape.

“You call that a growl?” Gus repeated. “That was a disgrace, that’s what it was.”

“Excuse me, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Pounce huffed. 

The beetle left.

“As a matter of fact I do.” Gus insisted. “You’re in the presence of the most fearsome growler that has ever graced the stage.”

“You’re the most what that has done what to what?”

Gus sighed and drew the blanket closer around himself. “Youth these days. They never listen.”

“I’ve got frosting in my ears, give me a break.” The statement of the fact made Gus take pause.

“You’re that little rascal that smashed Jenny’s cake, aren’t you?”

“I’m not little.” Pounce insisted. “But yeah.”

“Well done.” To his surprise Gus broke out into a smile. “I haven’t seen a stunt like that since I performed with the flying Atherton brothers in… well, it was a long time ago.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yes. I never liked Jenny’s cakes.” Gus fixed him with a stern look. “But you still need to work on that growl of yours.”

“Why is that so important?”

“Because if you are going to growl in the presence of the master of bloodcurdling noises you had better do it right.”

“This isn’t gonna be another one of your stories, is it?”

“Pardon?”

“Um.” Even Pounce knew when he was being rude. “’s just… I have a hard time sitting still and listening to all your stories all the time.”

“Ah.” Gus did not scowl at him as expected, but rather gave him an understanding nod. “You’re a tom of action, that I can see. You don’t have time to sit around listening to me prattle all day. Very well. Let me give you a demonstration then.” 

Gus struggled to his feet. Pounce ran up and helped him, unsure of whether or not to keep holding on once the old cat was securely on his feet. This problem was solved by Gus batting him away with a paw.

“Now, watch and listen.” The cat took in a deep breath, coughed, then let out a peculiar rattling wheeze.

“Um.” Pounce stared. “That’s it?”

“That’s it? That’s it he asks.” Gus shook his head. “You have the audacity to question the great Growltiger if that was it.”

“Wait, who? I thought your name was Gus.”

“My name is Gus, pay attention.” Gus rapped his paw on top of Pounce’s head. 

“Hey-”

“I once played Growltiger.” Gus continued. “I was once a mighty bravo cat that traveled on a barge. With my raffish crew I traveled the world-”

“Wait, what’s a raffish?” Pounce flicked an ear, sending frosting flying to the floor.

“My raffish crew, pay attention.” Gus did nothing to clarify the word. “Oh, what were their names… Grumbuskin was one, Tumblebrutus the other-”

“Hang on, wait a minute.” Pounce interrupted again. “You’re telling me that Tumble is a pirate cat? When did that happen?”

“Stop interrupting!” Gus drew himself up to his full height. For a brief moment there was a gleam in his eye, a hint of a character from long ago. “No one would have the gall to interrupt Growltiger. I was ‘the roughest cat that ever roamed at large’, that’s how they used to describe me. ‘Woe to any cat with whom Growltiger came to grips’, that’s what they used to say.”

“Sounds pretty tough.”

“I was pretty tough. Here, I’ll show you.” With surprising speed Gus grabbed Pounce and flipped him head over tail, sending him rolling across the floor.

“Wh- wha- huh?” Stunned, Pounce stared up at the no longer frail cat. “How?”

“No one could stand against the ‘Terror of the Thames’.” Gus said triumphantly, standing tall and placing his paws on his hips. Such a stance made him look much more intimidating. Right before their eyes he had turned from a weak, ancient tom into Growltiger himself.

“Tell me more.” Pounce breathed.

That afternoon was spent with recollections of pirates, tales of grand adventures, and extensive lessons on how to growl like a proper bravo cat. Pounce still didn’t quite know what a bravo cat was but that wasn’t important. What was important was that for a while he was in the presence of Growltiger, the Terror of the Thames, and he was going to learn everything he could.

Instead of making Pounce sit still to listen Gus had instead recruited the tom into acting out the stories with him, and together the two relived the tales through the rest of the afternoon. Gus had shown him a world he never knew existed, a world full of swashbuckling and saving beautiful queens while fighting hoards of dastardly enemies, a world of never ending stories. 

“I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.” Jelly interrupted their crusade, too occupied in her parcels to see what was happening in her den. “I hope you two didn’t-”

“Lady Griddlebone!” Gus declared. “You have returned from your fanciful trip abroad with nary a scratch upon your delicate visage!”

“What-”

“Growltiger!” Pounce called from his perch near the ceiling. He had taken a tea towel and tied it around his head like a bandanna. “She is not your fine lady but an imposter!”

“Nay, you know not of what you speak.” Gus fixed his raffish crewmate with a stern stare. He had found an eyepatch and put it on over an eye to complete his fearsome visage. The blanket was tied around his neck like a cape.

“No, I do, she doesn’t have her fancy hat! She can’t be Lady Griddlebone without her hat!” Pounce insisted, waving a prop sword he had pilfered from storage.

“Where did you get that sword?” Jelly asked.

“I gave it to him to protect him from nefarious ne’er do wells.” Gus told her. 

“Oh.” Jelly smiled. “Well, I am your Lady Griddlebone. Give me a moment and I will prove it to you.” 

With that she disappeared out of sight, leaving Gus and Pounce to wonder just what she was going to do. Before long she returned, wearing the full Lady Griddlebone regalia, complete with genuine, 100% authentically fancy hat.

“My Lady Griddlebone!” Gus got down on one knee and gestured towards her. “You look more radiant than the moon!”

“Why thank you, my Growltiger.” Jelly laughed as Pounce gagged at the romantic words. “But I believe you and your crew were about to rescue me?”

“Yes, yes, Pouncival-”

“No, I’m Grumbuskin-”

“Yes, yes, I mean Grumbuskin, my bucko mate, if you would take care of the fiends that have surrounded us.” Gus gestured at the imaginary enemies all around them.

Pounce jumped into the air, landing with a mighty thump in the middle of the floor, and drew in a deep breath. This was it. Time to show Gus what he really could do. Out of the corner of his eye he saw both Gus and Jelly give him an encouraging nod.

“Here it goes.” With that Pounce let out the best growl he could, arching his back and showing his teeth just like Growltiger would do. It was a fearsome sound. Definitely one scary enough to send the imaginary foes running for the hills.

Jelly and Gus applauded.

“Well done.” Gus slapped him on the back. “As fine a growl as can be. You have officially earned your spot on Growltiger’s crew.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Gus winked at him before settling back down in the corner. “I think you will make a fine crewmate.”

“Did you hear that Jelly?” Pounce beamed.

“I did.” Jelly laughed. “And I’m impressed that you heard that considering all the frosting you still have in your ears. Which reminds me, it’s time to properly clean them out.”

“Aw.” Pounce pouted as she removed the towel from his head.

“Perhaps Gus has another story he could tell you while I clean you up.” Jelly suggested.

“Do you?” Pounce bounced over to Gus and sat down in front of him. “More pirates? Or monsters?”

Gus wheezed a laugh. “Well, I might have one or two more. Have you heard of Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell?”


End file.
